Quezon unleashed its new gunners and overwhelmed Batangas City Tanduay, 70-46, Wednesday in the Manny Pacquiao presents 1xBet-MPBL 2025 Season at the Batangas City Coliseum.
Diego Dario, recruited by Coach Eric Gonzales to be his extension on the court, led the Huskers with 13 points, including two triples, along with six rebounds and one steal to earn best player honors. The Huskers, determined to reclaim the South Division crown and contend for the national title, showcased their depth and firepower.
Judel Fuentes backed the 5-foot-8 former University of the Philippines star with nine points, four rebounds, four steals, and three assists. Ximone Sandagon added nine points and five rebounds, while Vince Magbuhos, another prized recruit, contributed eight points and five boards.
With JP Sarao, Gab Banal, and Magbuhos each connecting from beyond the arc, the Huskers built an insurmountable 68-41 lead, prompting the Batangas faithful to head for the exits.
The Rhum Masters, runners-up in last season’s South finals, struggled offensively with no player reaching double digits. John Ambulodto posted nine points and five rebounds, Philip Paniamogan added eight points and three boards, while Cedrick Ablaza managed six points and seven rebounds for Batangas.
In earlier games, General Santos City and Zamboanga Sikat secured dominant victories. The Gensan Warriors relied on the hot shooting of Val Acuna to dispatch the Sarangani Grippers, 73-58. Acuna drilled seven triples en route to a game-high 21 points, pushing the Grippers to their second consecutive loss and anchoring them at the bottom of the 30-team standings.
Mark Cruz also starred for Gensan, contributing 12 points, four assists, three rebounds, and two steals. Kyle Tolentino chipped in 11 points, two rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
For Sarangani, Rev Diputado tallied 11 points, two rebounds, and two assists. Junjie Hallare added 10 points, four rebounds, and three assists, while Martin Gozum scored nine points, and King Destacamento provided eight points and nine rebounds.
Meanwhile, Zamboanga Sikat pulled away from the Valenzuela Classics with a late first-half surge, clinching a 77-57 victory. Zamboanga turned a tight 29-24 contest into a comfortable lead with a decisive 12-point spurt powered by JP Cauilan, Michael Are, Abdul Sawat, and Ichie Altamirano.
James Una took home best player honors after finishing with 10 points and eight rebounds. Jhon Calisay added 10 points and two rebounds, while Altamirano contributed nine points—all from beyond the arc—along with two rebounds. Homegrown players Jul-Aashri Ignacio, Chino Mosqueda, John Edcel Rojas, Sawat, and Are added six points each in a balanced scoring effort for Zamboanga.
Valenzuela’s top contributors included Jan Formento with 16 points, three rebounds, and three assists; Kobe Monje with 11 points and 10 rebounds; and JR Ongteco with seven points, three assists, and two steals.
Altamirano’s flawless shooting and two triples each from Calisay and Ignacio elevated Zamboanga’s total to 10 made three-pointers out of 26 attempts. In contrast, Valenzuela struggled from deep, hitting only four of 24 attempts.
MPBL Founder and Chairman Manny Pacquiao was in attendance for the second consecutive day.
The MPBL heads to the Cuneta Astrodome on Thursday with Imus facing Pampanga at 4 p.m., Cebu clashing with Caloocan at 6 p.m., and host Pasay taking on Ilagan Isabela at 8 p.m.
In previous results, Isabela routed Sarangani, 74-54, in the MPBL’s seventh season opener on March 8. Pasay, meanwhile, fell to Nueva Ecija, 72-84, on March 10. Although Imus Braderhood claimed an 83-75 victory over Mindoro on March 10, they enter their matchup against Pampanga as underdogs, facing the reigning back-to-back MPBL champions.
